Founded in 1977, Matanzas Creek Winery is located on the site of a retired dairy farm. In 1985 the original winery, a converted dairy barn, gave way to a modern winemaking facility. The most recent addition to the winemaking facility is a new barrel chai built in 2000.The tasting room has an enviable location overlooking Bennett Valley, their vineyards and in spring time, the full bloom of their lavender fields.
Matanzas Creek Winery's lavender holdings consist of a one-acre plot with over 4500 lavender plants (shrubs) that annually produce approximately two million stems of lavender per year. The original plot was planted in 1991 and the average production life of the plants is 10 years. As with wine, lavender is well suited to the Estate's climate and well-drained sandy, loamy and stony soils.
New plantings of Merlot and Syrah added in the late 1990's increase the total Estate plantings to over 80 acres. The development of the 120-acre Jackson Park Vineyard (located across Bennett Valley Road from the winery) in 1996 established Matanzas Creek Winery's leadership role in Bennett Valley winegrowing community. In 2004, 40 acres of Chardonnay (located along Bennett Valley Road in the Estates ‘front yard') was replanted with Chardonnay.
